With mobile devices, e-mail, Facebook, LinkedIn and countless other ways to communicate with clients, there is a temptation for sales pros to get sloppy and thoughtless – even reckless – about how they respond to and communicate with clients and prospects.
For starters, just because you can take a client phone call from anywhere on a mobile phone doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to do it. Do you really think your sales team can be at their best and conduct a serious, strategic and thoughtful conversation in a noisy restaurant or airport terminal, or while distracted and driving? Hear this: environments matter. If you wouldn’t select one of these places to sit down and conduct a serious business negotiation (which is what selling is) because it would be chaotic and full of distractions that are counterproductive to concentrating – even listening – why on earth would you take a client’s unscheduled call on a cell phone in the very same environment?
Further, communicating to important people about important things is rarely best done through instant messages sent through Facebook, Twitter or even a hastily typed e-mail. While technology is fantastic for responding fast and to a massive number of people quickly, hear this: don’t fall into “autopilot” mode and carelessly respond to clients and prospects. If you see an important client call or e-mail, don’t respond immediately. Find a quiet, productive environment first where you can concentrate, take notes and even engage in a bit of prep BEFORE you call them back. Clients will appreciate it and you will come across as a consummate professional.